Page 128 of Lost Trust

“No.”

“Don’t make me go full Neanderthal on you and physically put you in there.”

Her eyes flash. “I’d like to see you try.”

I almost laugh, but then I see it. A tear sliding down her cheek.

I freeze.

Another follows.

Geezus.

She’s crying.

Over Blaze fucking Cassel.

My temper flares all over again, but this time, it’s tangled up with something else.

Confusion.

“Why the hell are you crying over that piece of shit for?”

Her face crumples for half a second before anger takes over again. “I’m not crying because of Blaze!”

She shoves both hands against my chest.

I barely move.

“Then why the hell are you crying?”

“Because of you!” she shouts in my face.

That stops me cold, and I stare at her.

She swipes angrily at her cheeks. “You’re an asshole.”

“I know.”

“I finally—” Her voice cracks, and she looks away. “I finally decided to let my guard down.”

Something tightens in my chest.

“And what did you do? You threw Blaze in my face.”

“I wasn’t—”

“You made it about him!” She looks up at me, tears shining in her eyes. “It wasn’t about Blaze. It wasn’t about revenge. And it wasn’t about you and what you want.”

She presses a trembling hand against her chest. “It was about me.”

I stare at her.

“It was about me finally taking hold of something I wanted. Something I wanted for myself. For once.” Her voice drops. “And you threw it back in my face.”

Fuck.

I step closer. She’s breathing erratically. So am I.